Decision: Gas tax or keep Mass. Pike tolls

Friday

Jun 28, 2013 at 6:00 AMJun 28, 2013 at 9:23 AM

By John J. Monahan TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Reopening a decades old controversy in Central Massachusetts, Gov. Deval L. Patrick is calling on the Legislature to raise the gas tax by more than 3 cents or require that tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike west of Route 128 stay up after the Turnpike bonds are paid off in 2017.

The governor has told lawmakers that without provisions ensuring future tolling on the turnpike west of Route 128, or a revenue source of $135 million a year to replace them, he will reject a transportation finance bill sent to him Wednesday by the Legislature.

That bill, passed over Republican opposition, provides $500 million in new gas, cigarette, computer design service and utility taxes, as well as restoration of tolls on turnpike exits 1-6, from West Stockbridge to Interstate 291 in Springfield.

In a letter sent to key legislators earlier this month, state transportation officials said they could raise the gas tax a few extra cents to produce the $135 million and allow all the tolls to come down on the turnpike sections west of 128 in 2017.

The governor told lawmakers Wednesday night that he planned to send the tax bill back to them for revision because it does not include a change in state law that would be needed to keep tolls on the western turnpike up after the current bonds are repaid in full in 2017.

While the issue has emerged as a final major roadblock to the long-sought transportation finance plan, it was not discussed when the tax bill was initially voted on in the House and Senate this spring, and was not included in the initial House or Senate bills or the final compromise bill voted on and sent to the governor's desk Wednesday night.

In a June 6 letter to six members of the joint House-Senate conference committee that met behind closed doors to hash out a final compromise bill, state Transportation Secretary Richard A. Davey insisted the additional revenue is needed, but left it up to lawmakers to choose between changing the law to keep the tolls up after 2017 or finding an alternative funding source.

“One simple fix is to include language in the final bill which allows those tolls to continue,” Mr. Davey wrote. “There is another option: The conference committee could eliminate the western turnpike tolls in 2017, but increase the gas tax a little more to offset the revenue loss.”.

Mr. Davey advised the legislators that the administration would support elimination of those turnpike tolls as well as tolls at the Route 128 exit and on the Tobin Bridge, “offsetting the revenue loss by a slight increase in the gas tax.”

That solution, Mr. Davey said, “has the further benefit of addressing the long-held concerns of our residents who depend on the MassPike who feel they pay an unfair premium to subsidize roads in other parts of the state.”

The conference committee chose neither option, however, and its bill was sent to the governor without the change requiring the Western Turnpike tolls to come down and without raising the gas tax more than the 3 cents previously agreed to in House and Senate versions of the tax bill.

No mention of the administration recommendations were made during House and Senate debates on the final legislation. But the governor issued a statement Wednesday night expressing his opposition to the final form of the bill and said he planned to return it to lawmakers with a proposed amendment to address the $135 million revenue gap.

DOT spokeswoman Cyndi Roy said the administration has not yet decided whether to recommend a slight increase in the gas tax or a change to keep the tolls in place, as an amendment to the bill when it is returned to the Legislature.

“We haven't determined what the amendment is going to say,” Ms. Roy said adding, “The decision will be included in conversations with legislators over the next several days.”

State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, said he wants to leave all the tolls west of Route 128 in place in the future and does not favor raising the gas tax more than 3 cents as suggested as an option in Mr. Davey's letter. But he said he will wait to see what the rest of the Senate wants to do and what amendment the governor sends back.

As chairman of Ways and Means, Mr. Brewer said he will be guided by the Senate, but his personal view is to keep the tolls up.

“There is no such thing as a free road or a free lunch. If you want the best road in Massachusetts, there is a user fee and that is called tolls,” Mr. Brewer said adding, “The gasoline tax affects everybody. The tolls affect the people that utilize that road.”

Sen. Karen E. Spilka, D-Ashland, said she does not think the Legislature needs to act now to fill the $135 million funding gap in 2017. “I would not vote to keep the tolls up in 2017 right now,” she said.

“I think we need to have some good debate and discussion as to what to do as we approach 2017. But for right now, I think that we have enough funds, over $800 million for now and the next couple of years,” from the 3 cent gas tax and $1 cigarette tax hikes in the package that was sent to the governor. In the long run, she said, “I do not think continuing the tolls on the Turnpike is the best way to go.”